Last week, inside the only church designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, an impressive war room gathered. The mission? Save our built heritage, once and for all.

Organised by Conservative MSP Dr Sandesh Gulhane, the round table on the cusp of Maryhill drew an impressive crowd. There was his co-host, Labour MSP and building crusader Paul Sweeney. Then there was Stuart Robertson, director of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society.

Representatives attended from New Glasgow Society, Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland, National Trust of Scotland, Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, Glasgow City Heritage Trust, Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, Glasgow School of Art, Historic Environment Scotland, Alexander Thomson Society, Glasgow Institute of Architects, and the Architectural Heritage Fund. Esteemed architects Alan Dunlop and Scott Abercrombie were also there. Notably absent was anyone from Glasgow City Council. I was assured an invite had been sent.

There was a lot of hurt and a lot of hope in the room. And a lot of questions for the council that could not be answered because no one from the local authority was present. Why, for example, are they considering selling the McLellan Galleries on Sauchiehall Street? “If Glasgow wants to have an international exhibition, it needs to have something resonating,” Stuart Robertson says. “Kelvingrove doesn’t cope........

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